Play Store tests simultaneous downloads, sharing internal applications, and more.



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The Play Store is fertile ground for Google's A / B testing. Every other day, the application displays different interfaces and options for some users, and it's hard to stay on top of all. Recently, the Play Store has started to display a dedicated program Events tab for games, deploy pixel updates on Android Q, and we know that it works on a redesign of the hardware design. But there is much more in the works. In the last few days, application updates have begun to behave in a rather strange way for some users, the most important sign being the appearance of simultaneous downloads. We also spotted a new Play Protect interface, the ability to browse network TV shows and a mysterious internal application sharing switch. Without delay…

Simultaneous application downloads

Since time immemorial, the Play Store has downloaded applications one after the other: an application starts, and then the next application starts to download. Concurrent downloads should It's been years, but they're just starting to appear.

If you have several applications waiting to be updated, press to update everything and see what happens. Applications switch as if they were drunk and for some users, simultaneous downloads take place. You can see them in the screenshots above and the left one below. This means that if you download or update a large game, for example, you do not need to wait until the end of the game for your other applications to be updated. It's pretty cool.

Left: Simultaneous downloads. Right: Once the downloads are complete, they install one by one.

It's a server-side change and we can not duplicate the simultaneous downloads, although the turnaround also occurs for us. Looks like Google is changing the algorithms to introduce the feature. So we can only hope that this will spread to more users soon.

Sharing internal application

Last year, Google simplified the testing of apps on the Play Store for developers by allowing them to have an open beta, a closed alpha and a internal test channel for up to 100 users. The latter is intended to allow developers of large companies to test their applications within the team or a very small group of loyal users willing to try a draft application or update.

By default, anyone invited on an internal test channel and who approves it is able to install this application. So it's strange to see a rocker to allow this to appear in the Play Store. The new setting is hidden but appears after repeatedly tapping the Play Store version in Settings. It works on the most recent versions of the Play Store and for everyone, so it does not depend on a server-side change.

The rocker seems disabled by default, but as we said, it already works. Perhaps the big advantage, once configured, is that you can disable the installation of all internal test channel applications at one time.

Left: Failover sharing internal application. Right: Explanation after activation.

New Play Protect interface

When Play Protect appeared and then went to the Play Store, it had a simple one-page interface. We do not know when exactly a new interface deployed, but it's different now, for everyone. Recently scanned apps are still in Protect's main interface, but the settings to scan the device and improve the detection of harmful apps have been moved to another screen. I do not know why it had to be changed. The layout of a page was correct because there were not too many settings.

Left: Play Protect first screen. Right: Separate parameters.

Browse network TV shows

Finally, we noticed an additional change in the Movies and TV section of the Play Store. Again, we do not know exactly when it started to appear, but it's there for all of us. In the TV tab, there is a new filter bubble to display emissions by networks. This way you can see all the series of your favorite channels.

Left: Network filter in the TV section of the Play Store. Right: Series of network navigation.

If you've seen any other changes to the Play Store, or if you can replicate concurrent downloads, please let us know in the comments. And do not forget that you can always get the latest version of the Play Store from APK Mirror.

  • Thank you:
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